Chief Executive’s welcome

This is my second annual report as Chief Executive. It shows that we are in great shape.

In my Pre-Election Report 2013, I identified a number of factors that I would take into this current term of Council. I noted that:

we love this city and we don’t want to lose the momentum

regular Capex increases on a static rating-base are not sustainable

we need to manage our existing physical infrastructure well

we must use our strong financial position to invest in helping grow the economy, which would enable us to continue investing in our social infrastructure

​people know we can’t do everything for everyone and that our budget is limited, which means we need to make some tough decisions about the services we provide.

The report was written a year ago and we have already made significant progress on many fronts. As the Mayor notes, we are committed to our growth agenda. We have developed key projects that will improve the economic vibrancy of the city, in addition to a range of smaller but equally as important growth activities throughout the city. In the coming year, we expect to make further announcements about major projects that will attract more visitors to Wellington and support growth of the film and technology sectors.

We have made great strides towards reducing our costs in a sustainable way and meeting our commitment to great customer service. Key projects include the rationalisation of our Council-controlled organisations at both a local and regional level. We are planning to bring water-related services across Wellington under the management of Capacity Infrastructure Services to provide an end-to-end comprehensive service across the region. We are also bringing our events, venues, tourism and economic development functions and activities under the umbrella of a single regional growth entity. These actions will not only deliver cost-savings but also mean more effective co-ordinated service delivery for the benefit of everyone living in the region.

We are also implementing a number of projects to improve efficiency and reduce our back office costs. These include:

improving our procurement processes

modernising our accommodation arrangements, and

​adopting a new core computer system.

We are focused on doing the basics well so we can make the strategic financial investments that will help our city to grow and build on the enormous success it has already achieved.

Cities are the core of a country’s growth and success and they have to continually reinvent themselves to achieve their potential. Wellington is ready for positive transformation. We have transformed the city before – with the stadium, the waterfront and Te Papa. We can do it again, and we will.

We can achieve this while continuing to improve the value of the services we deliver over time. It’s in our best interests – and the interest of NZ Inc – to have world-class cities in New Zealand. The good news is we already have one – it’s called Wellington.

My thanks to all those who have contributed to our work this year and I look forward to continuing on and delivering on the Council’s vision for Wellington.